Last.



A PPPPPPP Id DDDDDDD 20.15, 1908. '91 8 506. Patented Apr. 20,1909.

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. APPLICATION FILED DBO 15, 1908.

918,506; Patented Apr. 20, 1909. v zsnnmvsnnm 2.

RUDOLF CARL, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LAST.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

' Application filed December 15, 1908. Serial No. 467,606.

To-al l whom 'it mag concern: I

Be it known that I. Run-uni CARL, a citizen of'the United States, residing at Buffalo, in

the county of Erie and State of Xew York,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an articulated sectional last which is adapted to support a shoe while the same is being manufactured and which may also be used for insertion in a manufactured shoe for the purpose of displaying the same or preventing the same rom becoming wrinkled or creased. My invention relates more particularly to a sectional last of this character in which the fore and heel parts. are yieldingly held by. spring pressure in their normal operative position and which can be folded or col lapsed sufficiently to permit of more readily Withdrawing a shoe therefrom or inserting the same into and removing the same from a shoe.

It is the object of this invention to produce a last having this capacity which, when compared with those heretofore in use, is much stronger and durable in construction and can be produced at a lower cost.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of2'sheets: Figure l is a side elevation of a sectional last embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached )erspective views of the heel part and the ore part of the last, respectlvely.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several VIEWS.

The fore part 1 and the heel part 2 of the last which are usually constructed of wood have the same general shape as the corresponding parts of the last heretofore in use.

the novelty in the present invention residders l 5, on this end of the fore partabove and below the transverse groove, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. On the front end of the heel part the same is provided on opposite sides with two forwardly projecting pivot or hinge knuckles, lugs or ears 6, 7. The front sides or faces of these pivot knuckles are of semi-cylindrical form, the axis of the same being arranged transversely 'or horizontally relatively to the heel,part of the last. These knuckles or lugs are arranged between the top and bottom of the heel part so as to form upper and lower stop faces or shoulders S, S), on the front end of this part which are adapted to cooperate with the upper and lower shoulders of the fore part. respectively. The pivot knuckles are preferably constructed. integrally with the heel part of the last and turn with their curved orsemi-cylindrical faces in the correspondingly shaped sockets formed by opposite ends of the groove in the fore part of the last. 10 represents the eye of a metal screw eye which is enlarged and flattened and arranged against the inner side of one of the pivot or hinge knuckles andfastened with its screw or threaded shank 11 into the fore part of the last at the bottom of the transsockets of the. fore part, these parts are reli-- ably held in place relatively to each other,

thereby insuring proper shaping of the shoe which is tittedupon the same or the shoe into which the same may be inserted. Furthermore. this construction is very strong and durable and is not likely to break under the strains to which the same is ordinarily subjected and inasmuch as the knuckles are formed integrally with the heel part the cost of the last n this account is materially reduced. The distance between the two pivot lugs or knuckles is such that when the screw eye engages the inner side of one of said knuckles, an intervening space is left between the other side of the screw eye and the other knuckle.

13 represents the coil of a sprin whereby the parts of the last are yieldingy held in their normal operative position. This coil is arranged in the intervenin spacebetween the screweye and the knuck e against which the screw eye does not bear andsurrounds thatpa-rt of the pivot pin within this space.

' The opposite ends of this spring coil extendupwardly on the front and rear sides of the pivot pin in the form of arms 14,15 which are preferably seated in upright rooves l6,

17 formed in the opposing upper faces of the fore and heel parts of the last section, respectively, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper ends of the front andrear'spring arms are preferably bent forwardly'and rearwardly,

respectively, in the form of hooks or spurs 18, 19 which engage with recesses ,20, 21 formed in the fore and heel parts of the last section at the upper ends of the grooves thereof, respectively, as shown in Fig. 2. In

.applying this spring to the last sections, the

coil of the same is preferably compressed in a direction lengthwise'of its axis, so that the resilience of the same while engaging the inner side of the screw eye and that knuckle which is not engaged by the screw eye causes the other knuckle to be firmly drawn with its inner side against the outer side of the screw eye, thereby reliably holding the last sections in the proper position relatively to one another in a direction transversely of the last.

lVhen free, the resilience of the spring in a circumferential direction'causes its arms to spread or separate the fore and heel parts of the last above the pivotal connection between the same and to engage the lower shoulders between these parts below said connection, as

shown in Figsland 2. This is the position the parts of the last assume while a shoe is being built upon the same or while the last is inserted within a previously manufactured shoe to keep the same in shape.

For the purpose of withdrawing the last from the shoe or detaching the shoe from the last, the two sections of the same are turned one relatively to the other, so that the shoulders or faces of the fore and heel parts above the pivotal connection between the same. approach each other while the opposing faces or shoulders of these parts below this pivot are separated, thereby folding or shortening;

1. An'articulated sectional shoe last comprising a fore part provided on its rear end with semi-cylindrical sockets, aheel part having semi-cylindrical buckles fitting in said sockets, means for. pivotally connecting said fore and heel parts concentrically with the sockets and knuckles thereof comprising a screw eye secured with its screw to the rear end of the fore part while its eye bears on one of its sides against the inner side of one of said knuckles and its opposite side is out of engagement from the inner side of the other knuckle and a pintle passing concentrically through said knuckles and eye, and 2:5

a spring for holding said fore and heel parts in their'normal position and also exerting axial pressure for holding-said eye against] the respective knuckle which is engaged by the eye.

2. Ah articulated sectional shoe last com-- prising a fore part provided on its rear end with semi cylindrical sockets, a heel part.

having semi-cylindrical knuckles fitting kin said sockets, means for pivotally connecting said fore and heel parts-concentrically with the sockets and knuckles thereof comprisinga single screw-eye secured with itsfscrew to the rear end of the fore part while its eye bears on one of its sides against the inner side of one of said knuckles and its opposite-side is separated by an intervening space from the inner side of the other knuckle, a pintle passing concentrically through said knuckles and eye, and a spring for holding said fore and heel parts in their normal operative positionand having a coil which is arranged in said space and is connected at opposite ends bears on one of its sides against the inner side of ne of said knuckles and its opposite side-fisseparated by an intervening space I from the inner side of the other knuckle, a

pintle passing concentrically through said knuckles and eye, anda spring for holding said fore and-heel parts in their normal operative position and having a coil which is arranged in said-space and which has arms projecting upwardly from the opposing ends of the fore and heel parts above the pintle having grooves which receive said arms.

4. An articulfa'tedfsectional shoe last comprising a fore p'art provided on its rear end with semi -cvlindrical sockets, a heel part having semi cylindric'al knuckles fitting in saidsockets, means for pivotally connecting said fore and heel parts concentrically with the sockets and knuckles thereof comprising a screw eye secured with its screw to the rear end of th fore part while its eye bears on one of its sides against the inner side of 1 30 one of said knuckles and its opposite side is separated. by an intervening space from the 'inner side of the other knuckle, a 'pintle passing concentrically through said knuckles and eye, and a spring for holding said fore and heel parts 111 then normal operative p0- 'siti 0n and having a coil which is arranged and rear arms, respectively, the opposing "faces of the fore and heel parts being provided with uprightgrooves which receive said arms and recesses at the upper ends Of '15 said greoveswhich receive said spurs.

lVit-ness my hand this 12th day of Decemher, 1908.

v RUDOLF CARL.

Witnesses 'FHEO. IA. Pom, ANNA Hniicis. 

